Course overview

Start date

Subject area

Attendance

Learning

Course summary

This MA Social Work degree equips you with the skills, knowledge and reflective capacity you need to practise as an effective social worker.

You will develop a sound knowledge base that encompasses theory, the ethical and legal bases for practice, social policy and an understanding of how social work fits into organisational contexts.

The course promotes relationship-based practice and is unique because of the link with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

It is extremely popular, with up to 600 applicants each year for 40 places. The standard for entry is therefore very high, although good experience of practice will be given serious consideration.

The opportunity to study both at the University of East London and the Tavistock allows you to experience university culture and a working clinic. As part of the course you will participate in a week-long Group Relations Conference as well as weekly work discussion groups.

Because the course attracts students from different cultural backgrounds and a range of disciplines - including psychology, law, sociology, criminology, business studies and even science - the knowledge our students bring enriches the course experience as much as the teaching.

Contact us

If you have any questions, talk to a member of our Applicant Enquiries team on +44 (0) 20 8223 3333 or email study@uel.ac.uk.

In partnership with the NHS

This is the only Social Work master’s course in the country that is run in conjunction with an NHS trust. The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is internationally renowned in the field of systemic and psychodynamic approaches to training social workers.

Experienced and diverse staff

The staff team across both institutions is experienced and diverse. You are taught by practitioners and academics who are up-to-date in the field, research active and close to practice.

HCPC

validated

You will graduate with a master’s degree which allows you to register as a social worker with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The course is validated by the HCPC and endorsed by the College for Social Work.

What we're researching

Our Centre for Social Work Research (CSWR) generates knowledge in social work thinking and methods. It also helps and encourages more social workers to become involved in research to improve shared knowledge.

Our founding goal is to shed light on underlying processes in practice and policy-making. We also work to strengthen the evidence base for ‘relationship-based social work’. This places the client-practitioner relationship at the heart of practice.

Current research themes include relational approaches to people at risk of self-harm or suicide, safeguarding and child protection, social work and education as well as the transformation of welfare in the UK.

The CSWR is led by Professor Stephen Briggs, who teaches on the Social Work MA course. His current research interests include adolescent mental health, psychoanalytic approaches to suicide and self-harm, and infant observation and its application to understanding infant mental health.

Dr Jo Finch, Course Leader of the Social Work MA, is deputy director of the CSWR and a research specialist in the field of practice education (practice learning, assessment and suitability) with a focus on struggling or failing students. Her work has been published in the British Journal of Social Work and the European Journal of Social Work in Practice.

Paul Adams, Course Leader of the Youth and Community Work MA, is involved with a number of youth work organisations, including national government working groups. He’s also a trustee of Y Care International - an international relief and development agency working in partnership with YMCAs throughout the world to help them respond better to the needs of the most disadvantaged young people.

Making a difference

UEL is one of the UK’s leading modern research universities. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF), 17 per cent of our overall research submission was classified as ‘world-leading’ for its quality and impact – almost double our previous REF score. A further 45 per cent of our work was considered ‘internationally excellent’.

Muibat Alli

MA Social Work

Social Work at UEL is unique because it draws heavily on psychoanalytic concepts that allow you to understand issues not just on the surface, but also to see beneath the surface.

The number of bursaries for postgraduate courses is limited, so being offered a place on a Social Work course is not a guarantee of receiving a bursary. For postgraduate students the bursary could include a contribution towards the cost of tuition fees which is paid direct to the university, a non-means tested Basic Grant, which includes an amount for the Placement Travel Allowance, and a means-tested Maintenance Grant, which is a contribution towards living costs.

Other allowances could be available depending on students' individual circumstances - e.g. if they have a dependent adult, if they are a parent, if they have a disability.

To receive a bursary, students must satisfy certain residency criteria, details of which can be found here.

The Postgraduate Loan (PGL) provide non means-tested loans of up to £10,280 to taught and research masters students. It will be paid to students as a contribution towards tuition fees, living costs and other course costs.

Did you know that with a postgraduate qualification you can expect to earn more than someone who only holds an undergraduate degree?

If you want to build new skills, change career paths, or further your career prospects, a postgraduate degree can help you. Our range of scholarships and bursaries will make financing your education that much easier. Below are some the funding available to support you in your studies:

Tuition fees are subject to annual change. Fees for future years will be published in due course.

At UEL, we understand that studying in another country is a big financial commitment. If you apply early for an postgraduate course, you may be entitled to a scholarship of up to £4,000. You can find out more about the international scholarships here. In addition to this, we offer a five per cent early payment discount and 15 per cent alumni discount.

The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) also run an Emergency International Fund to assist international students in hardship.

As part of the Tier 4 student visa requirements, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) estimate that you will need £1,265* per month to cover your living costs. It includes expenses for accommodation, food and drink, travel within London, text books, entertainment, clothing, toiletries and laundry. Most Tier 4 students are required to show they have sufficient funds to cover the first nine months of the course before they start- a total of £11,385- in addition to the tuition fees. You can find more information about the specific requirements of the Tier 4 student visa here. The amount that you will spend can vary depending on your lifestyle. The UKCISA International Student Calculator can help you plan and manage your money.

* Please note the Immigration Rules are subject to change and this figure is likely to be increased by UKVI year on year. Please therefore check our ISA pages (www.uel.ac.uk/isa) for more information at the time of preparing your visa application.

Deposits and paying by instalments

International students are required to pay a deposit prior to being issued a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

Your remaining balance will be paid in five monthly instalments over your first term. The first of these instalments must be paid when completing your enrolment on arrival at UEL. Please follow the payment instructions here.

After the required payment has been made, you will be asked to complete the online International Student Reply Form to confirm your acceptance of our offer and of our terms of admittance and fees policy.

Our International team at UEL are available for advice and guidance on studying in London, fees, scholarships and visa requirements.

INTERNATIONAL

(Including European Union)

All applicants applying to study Social Work will be required to take an in person test and subsequent interview. Applicants who are successful in passing the Social Work test will generally be interviewed 2 weeks after the test date. We are unable to arrange Skype or any other online means for our test and interviews. Photographic ID such as a passport or driving licence will be required on the day of your test and interview.

Applicants are required to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for Regulated Activity

We are required by the Health and Care Professions Council, social work’s statutory regulator, to consider applicants’ potential health needs and the possible impact on fitness to practice. We therefore encourage all applicants to complete a health and wellbeing self-declaration form at the interview relating to health conditions that will affect their practice

All entrants must demonstrate their suitability for social work training showing they possess the appropriate personal and intellectual qualities with the capability of meeting the required professional standards by the end of their training.Some experience of working with vulnerable people in a caring role and an understanding of how this relates to social work practice is essential

All shortlisted applicants must confirm prior to offer that they have the ability to use basic IT facilities, including word processing, internet use and use of email, and will be asked to specify how these skills have been obtained

Direct transfers from other programmes will not be considered

Applicants are required to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for Regulated Activity.

As you will have close contact with children and/or vulnerable adults on the this course, you will be required to have a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure certificate.

You need to complete this process prior to starting the course. Failure to complete this process will impact you going on placement as part of the course.

You can speak to a member of our Applicant Enquiries team on +44 (0)20 8223 3333, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Alternatively, you can visit our Information, Advice and Guidance centre. Please click here for details.

What you'll study

Fundamentals of Social Work (core)

Social Work Law (core)

Human Growth and Development (core)

Professional Practice Placement 1 (core)

Professional development (core)

Dissertation (core)

Professional Practice Placement 2 (core)

How you'll be assessed

We use a range of assessment approaches. These include case studies, a formative service user interview, essays, online tests, group presentations, practice placement portfolios and a dissertation.

How you'll learn

We offer a wide range of teaching styles, from lectures to seminars, tutorials to workshops.

The child observation and practice placement in Year 1 is supported by a small group reflective seminar. This work discussion continues throughout Year 2 and is an approach to learning from experience that is unique to this course.

Your initial preparation for practice includes five days of shadowing a social worker.

In preparation for practice, we also offer you the exciting opportunity to work with a group of actors from a theatre company in role-play social-work scenarios.

The actors are given a brief and you will interview them or produce a case study. You are given feedback on your performance from a tutor, from someone who has used social work services and from practitioners.

What you'll learn

This full-time two-year course has a distinct theoretical and practical tradition with a focus on developing reflective practitioners.

The theoretical and practical learning are not separate but intertwined. The emphasis is on building a framework of skills and knowledge – communication skills, ethics and values, social policy – within which you can develop your practice.

The Fundamentals of Social Work Practice module is a wide-ranging introduction to theory and practice. This is studied in Year 1 and prepares you for practice.

Once you pass this module, you can move on to the first of two long practice learning placements (for 70 days in Year 1 and 100 days in Year 2). You will also develop your knowledge of social work law via a module where you will begin the process of applying law to practice situations.

You will also study the Human Growth and Development module at the Tavistock. This includes a baby or young child observation, and, to develop your understanding of the social work role, you will study Social Work Law.

In Year 2 you will undertake your dissertation and study the Professional Development modules, which support your placement learning.

Your future career

We are the principal social work training provider in east London. Choose this course and you will have a head start when it comes to finding a job in social work in the area.

The MA Social Work has been developed in collaboration with local employers so it reflects the priorities and needs of contemporary social work practice in east London. Local employers trust the training given to our graduates and regularly employ them once qualified.

There are good employment opportunities in social work in London, often in children and family contexts but also other service groups and in a variety of settings– voluntary and statutory, for example.

After gaining a professional and academic qualification in social work at postgraduate level, you are required to continue your professional development as part of your professional registration.

This will firstly be through the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment and may also be through further post-qualifying awards in specialist areas of social work at the University of East London and the Tavistock.

Post-qualifying social work - Consolidating social work practice with Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)

Practice Educator Stage 1

Practice Educator Stage 2

Meet us in your country

Our international team travel overseas regularly to meet prospective students and attend recruitment fairs. Our academics also give regular lectures overseas and are happy to speak to prospective students. In addition, we have a large worldwide network of advisors who can provide guidance and support with applying to study at the University of East London.

Enquiries

UK/EU Full-time starting Sep 2018

How to Apply Applications should be made online via the Universities and Colleges Admissions System (UCAS) website.Please ensure that you have read and considered the entry requirements for this course before you submit your application. Our applicant enquiries team can provide advice you are unsure if you are qualified for entry or have any other questions.
When to Apply

The UCAS deadline to be guaranteed consideration for a place is 15 January 2018.

Advice and guidanceOur Information, Advice and Guidance team provide impartial advice on courses, entry requirements, pre-entry and access programmes in person and via the telephone.

+44 (0)20 8223 4354

Already applied? You can track the progress of your application using UCAS Track. Read our guide to applying via UCAS for further information.